Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

Chapter 144 Ding Zimo

The name "Xiao Er" is what Zhao Wang calls his daughter in his dream. It is clearly a nickname. Whether it is the Xiao Er that Brother Ding is thinking about is still just speculation.

However, the fact that the whole family joined the White Lotus Sect, and that they directly took on the branch led by Wan Jie and the illegal transmigrators, does indeed easily remind people of Zhao Wang's family.

They weren't sure if Zhao Wang would go to his own sect's headquarters, so they didn't follow. After all, the whole family joining the White Lotus Sect didn't mean the whole family would live in the White Lotus Sect's stronghold, and they couldn't guarantee that the other party wouldn't change his route midway.

In this world today, it is quite difficult to use women's names as identification labels, because few of them have formal names. Most of them only have nicknames, and some don't even have names at all, simply referred to as "Ms. So-and-so," and their names are not recorded on their tombstones after death.

Those who have official names mostly use "girl names," which are only used by family members and are generally not shared with outsiders. "Xiao Er" is a very obvious nickname, while "San Guan" is unclear, as the two brothers did not explicitly state it.

"Your father was beaten to death because he offended a local tycoon, and your sister went missing. Didn't you consider the possibility of the tycoon retaliating?"

Mo Xunzong was puzzled. They had been fighting a lawsuit over their father's case for a year, and there must be an irreconcilable grudge between them and that rich man. If his sister suddenly disappeared, wouldn't the first suspect be the enemy who was closest to him?

The fact that the lawsuit dragged on for a year without a win shows that the defendant had the power to distort the government's judgment. If the other party dared to kill someone outright, they certainly had the guts to target the merchant's daughter as well.

"Actually, when my younger sister first disappeared, we suspected that someone had deliberately killed her, but..."

At this point, Shang Li paused. His father had just been buried, and his sister had disappeared. It was easy to imagine that the wealthy man had sent someone to do it.

"Not long after, the wealthy man died at his own birthday banquet, his head and body separated."

Before any investigation could even begin, the suspect was killed. Now, even if they had suspicions, it was useless, since the person was dead.

"His father's killer died not long after he disappeared? Where is the murderer?"

No matter how you look at it, it seems like the murder of the tycoon is somehow related to Shang Sanguan, right?

"The murderer hasn't been found. That rich man is extremely domineering by nature. Everyone says he was hired by an enemy. If our little sister were in the White Lotus Sect, perhaps... it was someone from the White Lotus Sect who killed him."

The White Lotus Sect has committed numerous acts of murder for money. The truth the Shang brothers envisioned was that their sister encountered a White Lotus Sect sorcerer who helped her kill her enemy, at the cost of Shang Sanguan joining the White Lotus Sect as well.

In this way, both the disappearance of Shang Sanguan and his reappearance in the White Lotus Sect, and the death of the wealthy man on his birthday without any trace of a murderer, can be explained as being the work of the White Lotus Sect.

"Starting to analyze cases again, Qin Xin, why don't you call your brother over?"

At first, they were just curious about why Shang Chen and Shang Li wanted to go to the White Lotus Sect and the Asura King. But as they talked, they ended up analyzing the reason for Shang Sanguan's disappearance. This kind of reasoning part didn't seem like part of their script, did it?

However, upon closer inspection, there are indeed a lot of mysteries surrounding the enemy. It is precisely because the enemy's actions are so unpredictable that Liu Qingyuan dares not use the "direct attack" tactic, fearing that the enemy is hiding their trump cards and that his side will ultimately suffer a defeat.

"He probably doesn't have time. The two prodigies, Deer and Fox, have gone on a trip together, and Mi Qilin has been entrusted to Xiang Ruxi and Abbess Huanyin."

"Giving an alpaca such a unique name...is it being fostered by Jian Fengyun's mother?"

Wait a minute, didn't we say earlier that Jian Fengyun went home to visit his family?

"Yes, what's wrong? Do you want to see Mi Qilin?"

"Yu Ren doesn't have such unique interests. She just thinks it's a pity that Jian Fengyun has to fight alpacas when he gets home, and he can't see such a wonderful scene in person."

"Jian Fengyun isn't a child, how could he..."

Shu Longqin's expression froze instantly. Hengshan Sword Fengyun was relatively composed and would never do something like fighting with a pet. However, he was visiting his family and seeing his mother, so it would be better for him to act like Fengyun again.

First, Feng Yun'er likes lion dancing. Second, alpacas are not to be trifled with. Seeing the brightly colored, waving lion head, Mi Qilin seems quite likely to be aroused in his fighting spirit.

"It shouldn't be that bad?"

Therefore, it's really hard to say how likely it is that Feng Yun'er and Mi Qilin will fight. As for the personality of Mi Qilin, the two people who know are already on vacation.

"You've gone off-topic again, haven't you?"

Mo Xunzong was speechless. He had just asked why the two Shang brothers did not suspect other enemies, but how did Yue Wuque and Shu Longqinxin end up talking about their own people?

"Actually, you don't need to care about us."

Shang Chen was happy that these people would pay less attention to them. His sister's sudden disappearance and reappearance in the White Lotus Sect was indeed bizarre, so the two brothers made a special trip to find her. But that didn't mean they wanted to be noticed by these reclusive masters who didn't look like humans.

They had heard that there were many talented people in the White Lotus Sect, and they also knew that the legendary Asura King's appearance was very different from that of ordinary people. However, they had already prepared themselves for these things in advance. Only Yue Wuque and his group encountered this by chance and were not prepared at all.

The brown-haired guy was alright; his clothes weren't too outrageous compared to the other three. Although the sword on his back was also quite exaggerated, overall, he was the one who looked the most "human" among them.

Therefore, when the two brothers faced Mo Xunzong, they were not too timid. Mo Xunzong had a strong swordsman's temperament, while Yue Wuque and the others were like immortals. He was more like a knight-errant. When the wealthy man who had a feud with the merchant died, the first thing everyone guessed was that someone had hired a knight-errant to be the assassin.

Nowadays, two themes are in high demand in folk tales: supernatural tales and chivalrous heroes. The two brothers had met a swordsman traveling alone with a sword on their recent journey, and they thought Mo Xunzong was quite the character.

Shang Chen and Shang Li unexpectedly encountered Yue Wuque and his group, and then they couldn't leave. They already knew that the group was looking for the White Lotus Sect, and that Yue Wuque and his group were dealing with the current high-ranking members of the White Lotus Sect, so they wouldn't let them go.

These two brothers were just ordinary people. To them, the White Lotus Sect was no different from a dragon's den or a tiger's lair. Even though there was a scholar surnamed Ding with them, he was a scholar, not a scholar. If the three scholars went to find the White Lotus Sect, it would be fine if they were easy to talk to. But if they encountered a "heretical sect" with a very upright personality and behavior, it would be like scholars meeting soldiers, and they couldn't reason with them.

It was definitely impossible for them to go alone. On the contrary, Yue Wuque and the others wanted to meet the scholar surnamed Ding, who said he was going to the White Lotus Sect to rescue his sweetheart.

So when Ding Ziming met up with the Shang brothers, he saw not only his former classmates, but also a group of colorful people.

No exaggeration, it really was multicolored. He almost thought he had come to the wrong place and instinctively wanted to back out, but the two brothers who owned the shop quickly pulled him back.

Shang Chen and Shang Li: We haven't run away, and Brother Ding, you can't run away either. Let's face these "big Buddhas" together.

"Ding Ziming?"

Upon seeing who it was, the group was surprised, as this scholar Ding looked very young, seemingly not even twenty. Shang Chen and Shang Li were already over twenty, and since they had addressed him as "Brother Ding" and mentioned being classmates, they assumed he was around the same age.

When I saw the real person, I realized I had misunderstood.

"how old are you?"

"Uh, eighteen."

Ding Ziming was unsure of their attitudes, so she answered honestly. An eighteen-year-old scholar could already be described as young and promising.

"...Are you really classmates?"

Yue Wuque was skeptical. The two brothers were so much older than each other, yet they were just ordinary scholars. Ding Ziming was able to become a Xiucai at the age of eighteen. Are you sure you were taught by the same teacher?

"Well... there are differences between people. Brother Ding is exceptionally talented, and we certainly can't compare to him."

Is it that they don't want to take the imperial examination? Of course not, it's clearly because Ding Ziming is too amazing, and their level is just that of ordinary people.

"So what's going on? And who are these people?"

Having passed the imperial examination at a young age, Ding Ziming was much calmer than the two Shang brothers in the face of the unexpected situation. He had planned to go directly to the White Lotus Sect, so he had inquired about the sect's current activities and situation. He had also met people who knew magic, and even the girl he cared about was currently teaching magic at the White Lotus Sect.

Having heard many strange stories and tales about extraordinary people in the South, and even seen the head of the giant turtle that was supposedly slain by the Asura King, Ding Ziming was already prepared to face the devil head-on. When he saw a few people with rather unusual appearances, he was only surprised at first, but quickly calmed down and asked about the situation.

These people are alright. Although their hair and eye colors are not quite normal, at least their faces are good-looking. They are much more pleasing to the eye than the yakshas, ​​rakshasas, evil spirits, and ghost soldiers summoned by the White Lotus Sect.

"Simply put, we are allies standing on the same front."

Shu Longqin, speaking on behalf of the family, said that sometimes he really felt like a housekeeper.

"The White Lotus Cult, which is currently under the intervention of the Asura King, is also our target. He and his companions are not members of the White Lotus Cult; they are merely using people within the cult to do extremely dangerous things."

"The White Lotus Sect is indeed problematic."

Ding Ziming didn't doubt Shu Longqin's words. Just by looking at the other person's appearance, he knew that there was nothing about him that was worth deceiving. When he inquired about the White Lotus Sect, he sensed that something was wrong.

They've become incredibly active. Ever since the title "Asura King" appeared, the White Lotus Cult has been frighteningly active. In the past, the White Lotus Cult members mainly focused on "integrating into the masses," and most of them lived lives no different from ordinary people.

But now, they have started to recruit believers on a large scale, as if they are no longer afraid of government suppression.

"Are they going to rebel again?"

"That's quite a tacit guess, I guess so."

It seems that in the eyes of the common people, the White Lotus Sect is inseparable from rebellion. As soon as someone says that the White Lotus Sect is acting dangerously, one or two people will guess that it is a rebellion.

Let's rebel then. The details are too complicated, and we can't explain it to the other side anyway.

"We've heard about what happened to you. First, is the girl you're looking for surnamed Zhao?"

"...Yes, his surname is Zhao."

When asked who had told him about his affairs, Ding Ziming glanced at Shang Chen and Shang Li as expected, but he didn't blame them. He hadn't intended to hide it in the first place.

"Is her father named Zhao Wang, and does he have an older brother who was your classmate? Her parents used to be Buddhists, but recently the whole family has joined the White Lotus Sect. Did that girl also attend school before?"

"Yes, both are correct!"

With each sentence Shu Longqin spoke, Ding Ziming nodded. As the information provided by the other party became more detailed, his eyes widened, and he could match every detail perfectly, as if the other party knew Zhao Wang's family.

In the end, Ding Ziming couldn't calm down either, and ran straight to Shu Longqinxin.

"You know Xiao Er... Oh dear!"

"Be mindful of the distance."

Yue Wuque pulled back his tripping leg. He had planned this carefully. Ding Zimo was forced to lean back and stumbled a few times before sitting down on the stool behind her.

"Looks like it really is that waiter."

Ding Ziming's reaction was the best answer. The young scholar's sweetheart was Zhao Wang's daughter, the girl who was said to have been taken in as a disciple by the higher-ups of the White Lotus Sect because of her exceptional talent.

In that case, it would be much more difficult for him to take his beloved away. Xiao Er is valued for his talent and is currently learning various spells at the base camp. Ding Zi Mo would have to delve into this very field just to see her.

Then, the fact that Xiao Er was taken in as an apprentice by Yi Yang, that time traveler, was suspicious in itself. There must be something fishy about the other party suddenly taking him in, and at the same time, he would definitely be keeping a close eye on Xiao Er.

"That young lady is now highly regarded by the White Lotus Sect's higher-ups and is studying magic in depth. It will be difficult for you to take her away."

"Highly regarded by the higher-ups? No wonder... no wonder Uncle Zhao achieved such a high position as soon as he joined..."

Upon hearing this news, Ding Ziming was first shocked, then suddenly realized that Zhao Wang's family had only recently joined the White Lotus Sect. Not long after joining, Zhao Wang had acquired a set of strange magical abilities and accumulated wealth visibly. The whole family had moved to another place. When Ding Ziming first heard this news, she found it unbelievable.

It's strange that he received so many preferential treatments as soon as he joined. Now that he knows it's because Zhao Wang's daughter is valued by the higher-ups, and Xiao Er is only sixteen this year, the only way to win over such a young girl is to start with her parents and elevate Zhao Wang's position in the sect.

"Xiao Er has been very smart since she was little, and she studied with us. Uncle Zhao is a good man, but he's a bit obsessed with the powerful and wealthy. When I asked my mother to propose marriage, Uncle Zhao refused. I heard he wants Xiao Er to marry into a rich family..."

An eighteen-year-old scholar—just the title alone would have made matchmakers flock to Ding Ziming's doorstep. But he didn't agree to any of these marriages because he couldn't forget Xiao Er. When he heard that Zhao Wang had taken his family to join the White Lotus Sect, he immediately ran out of his house and chased after them to the place where the White Lotus Sect was most active.

What is the White Lotus Sect? It's an evil cult that has existed among the people for over a hundred years without being eradicated. Many of its members have a history of rebellion and banditry. Ding Ziming can't accept that her beloved is in there. The White Lotus Sect's recent movements are suspicious, and something bad is bound to happen sooner or later.

"Please, esteemed immortals, advise us on what to do."

Ding Ziming was a pragmatic person. Since Fang Shuo and the others shared the same goal, he accepted these allies and was willing to tell him about Xiao Er's recent situation, which already showed his goodwill.

No matter what, he had to bring the person out of there and prevent them from going astray.